Two sprouts hiding in a bunch of grapes, almost getting away with itA grape bunch with two rounder, leafier members. One wears a false moustache.
A reindeer with a string of lights wound through its antlers, plugged inEach antler is a branching Y. Loop one wire through both and run it to a wall socket.
A reindeer whose antlers will not fit in the elevatorTwo sliding doors nearly shut on a wide pair of antlers. The reindeer eyes the stairs.
A dog proudly bringing back a snowman's armDraw the wagging tail first. The snowman has one stick arm and one empty socket.
A missing poster for a snowman, pinned up beside a puddle and a hatDraw the poster first, with a small snowman sketched on it. The puddle holds two coal eyes.
A snowman building a much smaller snowman and finding fault with itThe big one leans over with its stick arms folded. The small one has a crooked smile.
A snowman built upside down, acting as if it meant to beThe largest ball goes on top. Stick arms out for balance and a very straight mouth.
A snowman checking into the freezer aisle with a tiny suitcaseAn open freezer door, cold mist as wavy lines, and a suitcase with one sticker on it.
A snowman doing a jigsaw of a beach and looking nervousA flat table, scattered pieces, and one finished corner that shows a sun.
A snowman holding an umbrella up against the sunTilt the umbrella toward a small sun in the corner. Add two drips from the elbow.
A snowman knitting itself a longer scarf, far too fastTwo needles as crossed lines, and a scarf that already reaches the ground twice over.
A snowman riding a sled it is far too big forThe sled is a thin line under the bottom ball. Lean everything forward for speed.
A snowman trying on hats in a shop mirrorThree hats stacked on the counter, one on the head, and a doubtful look in the glass.
A snowman waving goodbye to its own head as it rolls downhillA slope, a rolling ball with a carrot in it, and a headless body with one stick arm raised.
Two snowmen pulling at either end of the only scarfOne scarf stretched tight between them. Lean both bodies back.
Reindeer off duty 12
A reindeer asleep on a roof with a carrot still in its mouthA slope of tiles, a folded-up body, and a carrot sticking out sideways.
A reindeer at the barber with a cape round its neckThe cape is a wide triangle. The barber studies the antlers with a very small comb.
A reindeer filling in a form to book the 26th offA desk, a pen held in the mouth, and a calendar with one day circled.
A reindeer finding a parking ticket on the sleighThe sleigh from the side, a slip of paper under the reins, and a jaw dropped open.
A reindeer sitting in the sleigh and holding the reins for onceSit it upright on the bench like a person. The harness in front hangs empty.
A reindeer taking a selfie with a snowmanThe phone sits at the end of a long front leg. Both faces squeeze into one corner.
A reindeer whose antlers will not fit in the elevatorTwo sliding doors nearly shut on a wide pair of antlers. The reindeer eyes the stairs.
A reindeer with a string of lights wound through its antlers, plugged inEach antler is a branching Y. Loop one wire through both and run it to a wall socket.
A reindeer with its hooves up, reading the sleigh manualA deck chair from the side, hooves crossed, antlers poking over the top of the book.
A row of reindeer doing warm-up stretches, the smallest copying badlyRepeat one pose four times. The fifth is half the size and has it backwards.
A young reindeer at the top of a ski ramp in water wingsA ramp rising to one side, a small body at the top, and a very large helmet.
Four reindeer playing a board game on an upturned crateFour heads round a square. One hoof hovers over a piece.
Dinner fights back 12
A Christmas cracker that has pulled itself and looks embarrassedTwo torn halves, a paper hat on the floor, and a small blush on each end.
A Christmas pudding armed with a tiny fire extinguisherA dome on a plate with a holly sprig. The extinguisher is a small cylinder with a nozzle.
A gingerbread house with a FOR SALE sign and bite marks along the roofDraw the bite marks as scallops along the roof edge. A small sign on a stick stands in front.
A gravy boat sailing away with the roast potatoesGive the boat a paper napkin for a sail. The potatoes sit in a row like passengers.
A mince pie with one bite gone, glaring at whoever did itA star-topped pie, a curved bite, and two crumbs for eyebrows.
A sprout in a tiny bow tie, sure this is its yearA small layered ball with a bow under it and a confident smile.
A turkey handing out leaflets for nut roastA round body, a stack of flyers under one wing, and a hopeful face.
Carrots on strike with tiny picket signsA row of pointed shapes with stick arms. Draw a crossed-out peeler on one sign.
The last roast potato and six forks arriving at onceOne potato in the middle of a plate. Forks come in from every edge of the page.
Leftovers lined up in the fridge on the 26th, each holding a numbered ticketAn open fridge with three shelves. Every dish holds a ticket and the pie is first in line.
Peas making a break for it across the tableclothA tipped spoon and a trail of dots heading for the table edge. One pea looks back.
Two sprouts hiding in a bunch of grapes, almost getting away with itA grape bunch with two rounder, leafier members. One wears a false moustache.
Pets against the tree 12
A cat batting the lowest bauble while the whole tree leansLean the tree a little. One paw is raised and the bauble swings away from it.
A cat deep in the branches, nothing visible but two eyesDraw the tree as a dark mass of needles. Leave two bright ovals in the middle.
A cat sitting where the star should be, the star on the floorBend the top of the tree under the weight. Two eyes and two ears make the new topper.
A dog standing guard between the cat and the treeThe dog in the middle with its legs planted. The cat looks past it at the lowest branch.
A dog staring at the one ornament made of cookieA cookie star on a low branch and a nose a hand's width away. One drop of drool is enough.
A dog who has opened every present with its name on, and several withoutTorn paper as zigzag scraps. The dog sits in the middle of it wearing a ribbon.
A hamster rolling away inside a clear baubleA see-through ball with a small round body inside in mid-run. Add speed lines behind.
A kitten walking the garland like a tightropeA sagging line between two branches, four small paws in a row and a tail out for balance.
A parrot on the top branch repeating HO HO HOA bird with its beak open and three sets of speech marks. Below, the owner covers both ears.
A puppy carrying off the tree skirt with the presents still on itA cloth being dragged to one side, and boxes sliding along it in a row.
A rabbit that has eaten the bottom third of the treeA tree with a neat bare trunk at the bottom. The rabbit sits beside it, round and unbothered.
A tortoise wearing one bauble like a very slow ornamentA dome shell, a hook over its edge, and one bauble swinging behind.
Wrapping disasters 12
A ball wrapped as a ball, fooling no oneA sphere of paper gathered at the top with a ribbon. A dog's nose comes in from the edge.
A gift bag used so many times it carries four name tagsA crumpled bag with a row of tags, three of them crossed out.
A gift tag that reads TO: ME, FROM: MEDraw the tag large with string through the hole. Letter it in capitals.
A giraffe-shaped parcel that nobody can explainWrap a long neck and four legs in striped paper. One bow goes at the very top.
A huge box opened to find a smaller box, and so on down to a paper clipNest five squares, each inside the last. The paper clip sits in the smallest.
A parcel that is mostly tape, with one small window of paperBands of tape cross in every direction. One corner of patterned paper shows through.
A present that is clearly the cat, wrapped by a childPaper round a sitting shape with two pointed ears. A tail sticks out through a gap.
A roll of tape whose end cannot be found, held up to a magnifying glassA ring of tape held close to one big eye. Scratch marks cover the roll.
A toy robot on the 25th, waiting for batteries nobody boughtA boxy robot with its back panel open and two empty slots. Its eyes are blank circles.
A wrapper tied to the chair by their own ribbonLoops round the chair back and both arms. The scissors lie just out of reach.
Two people opening the same scarf from each otherMirror the two figures. Each holds up the same striped scarf with the same face.
The wrapping paper running out one hand's width shortA box with one bare end, and the empty cardboard tube rolling away.
How it works
Each of these funny Christmas drawing ideas is a joke that fits in one picture: a snowman under an umbrella in the sun, peas escaping across the tablecloth. The hint says what to draw first so the joke reads.
Read the full guide
How to make a drawn joke land
A joke in a picture needs one thing out of place and a face that has noticed. Draw that face before anything else. Then add only what explains it: the small sun, the bitten pie, the empty harness. Leave out the background unless the joke lives there.
Funny Christmas things to draw on a card
Keep to two or three shapes so the joke still reads small. Easy holds the ones built from a few shapes and a face.
Eyebrows do most of the acting. Tilt them before you touch the mouth.
If the joke needs a caption, keep it to three words and letter it in capitals.
Questions and answers
What makes a Christmas drawing funny?
Something ordinary behaving as if it had feelings about the season: a pudding with a fire extinguisher, a reindeer booking a day off. The picture shows the moment, and the viewer works out the rest.
Which ones are easiest to draw?
The ones with one object and a face, such as a sprout in a bow tie or a cat deep in the branches with nothing visible but two eyes. Choose Easy in the box under the button to see them.
How are these different from the Christmas drawing ideas list?
Christmas drawing ideas are subjects of every kind. This list is jokes and nothing else, and none of them is on that page.